Uniquely combining piano music and story-telling, Jessica touches
the hearts of all who experience her unforgettable events.

PLUS:
Musical Guest at 9 & 11 AM Services, Sun., Dec. 4
And...

Afternoon Workshop, Sunday Dec. 4, 1PM:
“New Beginnings - An Experience of Memory & Music”
Memory is associated with the past, with times gone by. What if our memories can free us, opening the way
to the future? In this afternoon workshop we’ll explore the power of memory and music to awaken our true
selves and create new beginnings. $20 in adv.ance/ $25 at door

Joy Adler

& the Souls of Evolution

Winter Solstice Event
Sunday, December 18, 6PM
Global Community Heartshare
Music & Meditation for the Healing of the Earth
Golden-voiced Joy Adler sings from the depths of her heart. Music for healing - of ourselves and
of our beloved planet. Join us for a celebration of our Earth Mother at this magical and sacred
time of the Winter Solstice and the turning of the year.
With Elizabeth Woodbury Kasius, Brian Melick, Mick Murdick and special guests.

Unity Church in Albany
Albany, 21 King Avenue • (1 block off Central Ave., just east of Everett Rd.) • (518) 453-3603

ive years ago, I suffered through a sixmonth debilitating illness which baffled
both me and my doctor at the time. I went
for countless tests, but it wasn’t until I
switched over to an integrative doctor with
a new perspective that my symptoms were
taken more seriously and I was offered real
solutions that did work in the end.
How I wish I could have had this
month’s magazine to save the day back then!
At the time, I hadn’t been aware of the many
healing resources in our community, and I
hadn’t understood the difference between
the various fields of medicine, either. I
would actually cite this illness and my frustrating experience with an allopathic approach
as something that played into the compelling desire to bring Natural Awakenings and the
natural health and healing information and resources it promotes to the Capital Region. I
have learned so much since, and my hope is that this magazine is a needed gift to many.
This month, we discuss the rise of functional medicine and also shine a light on local
integrative practitioners working together to get to the root cause of disease and pain. As
someone who has suffered in the past, I feel it is fortunate for all of us that functional and
integrative doctors and practitioners are making the news.
Personally, when I go to the doctor, I hope to be listened to, understood, educated
and seen as more than just a one-dimensional being. These practitioners do just that. I don’t
want the latest drugs pushed on me or to feel that I have to fit under a specific healthcare
“code” to get help, either. In our January edition, we will take the topic of healthcare a step
further as we discuss affordable complementary care.
It is the season of giving, and we’ve sprinkled in some fun and inspiring holiday
notions for you in this issue. You’ll even find a few sweet and delicious recipes to try your
hand at. Looking at the calendar, it hardly seems possible that another year is almost
behind us. Whatever your festive plans are this year, we hope it will be a healthy and
happy close to 2016.
Happy Holidays,

Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more
balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge
information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal
growth, green living, creative expression and the products
and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

In the Spirit of the Season
– May We Walk as One
Jody Bergsma
Jody Bergsma began creating art at age
3, when her mother suggested that she
draw her nightmares to vanquish her
fears. Monsters illustrated with pink
and green crayons were not so scary,
and the budding young artist became
hooked. By her mid-teens, Bergsma
was selling her fanciful works and
went on to
become an award-winning illustrator.
In her whimsical, elfin watercolors and detailed, dramatic images of
wildlife, the artist often uses aboriginal,
native and geometric designs and symbols derived from the beautiful patterns
of ancient cultures. By respectfully
working with these images, she reintegrates them into our modern ethos.
“I propose that all humankind
shares a common reality just beyond
the range of normal sight,” remarks
Bergsma, whose watercolor technique
is self-taught. “Each person’s physical
adventure is unique, but the abstract
language of feelings and realization of
existence is our shared experience.
“Art is a tradition that helps
define who we are and brings us a vision of who we can become,” Bergsma
continues. “My painting is my expression and request for a more beautiful,
peaceful and harmonious world.”
View the artist’s portfolio at
Bergsma.com.
6

NY Capital District

he Yoga Lily, in Clifton Park, is
offering a special 10 percent
holiday discount for online gift cards
through New Year’s Day.
Owner Pam Medina says, “The
Yoga Lily studio offers yoga classes
for many body types, beginners,
intermediate and students that may
need small adaptations. We also offer
workshops on restorative yoga, sound healing, ayurveda, meditation, women’s
circles and teacher training.
“When we give the gift of yoga, we are gifting someone with life skill they
will use throughout their lifetime. The gift is telling how much we really love them
on a soul level and want happiness, peace and radiant health for them. Buy one
for yourself and come with them!”
Offer is available for online gift cards only at TheYogaLily.com using code
HOLIDAY10. The Yoga Lily is located at 1 Barney Rd., Ste. 222, in Clifton Park.

Hay For Horses

W

inter is just around the corner, and that means
the pastures will be closing and the rescues
at Peaceful Acres Horses (PAH) will be exclusively
fed hay and grain to sustain them daily for the long
season ahead. The nonprofit is looking for one-time
contributions to the Feed Fund and Feed Partner
subscribers. Each contribution will help PAH to pay local hay farmers and
grain suppliers over the next cold stretch.
“Grain costs approximately $1,700 per week in the winter months, and
there are many senior equines and those with specific non-hay diets,” says
founder and Executive Director Nanci Beyerl. Winter is a difficult time for
rescue sanctuaries because the workload for staff and volunteer CareGivers
increases and so do the costs to the organization. Corporate sponsors are also
welcome, or an office can have fun by pooling their donations.
Location: 3740 Rynex Corners Rd., Pattersonville, NY. For more information,
visit PeacefulAcresHorses.com.

haron Randall,
a healing
mentor for women
with fibromyalgia,
has started a
Facebook group,
Fibromyalgia:
Healing
From Within
Sharon Randall
(Facebook.com/
groups/1660186440972901). “I offer healing
mentoring with reiki sessions built in. The first
session is about one hour and 30 minutes,
and then one-hour sessions after that,”
shares Randall, who has been managing
fibromyalgia for 30 years with both traditional
and non-traditional medicine. “Fibromyalgia
has taught me what it means to have a
chronic illness and how to take care of myself.
It’s also made me more compassionate
toward myself and others.”
In July, Randall became an Usui holy
fire reiki practitioner and says, “It’s amazing
how much my physical body has healed with
being more mindful of connecting my mind
and body with understanding how much my
body wants to heal.”
“Over the years, I have discovered
how the power of my faith, sense of humor,
staying positive, finding my authentic self,
meditation, releasing stuffed emotions,
healing energy and conscious language have
helped me heal from within mind, body
and soul,” adds Randall. I am excited and
honored to share my healing experience with
hope others will heal, too.”
For more information and appointments,
call 518-334-9292. See ad, page 29.

Stay
Connected...

www.Facebook.com/
AlbanyAwakenings

BIOLOGIC DENTISTRY
Dr. Robert Herzog, Jr. DDS, FAGD

is a Mercury-free, Mercury-safe dentist in the
Capital District, offering safe removal of Mercury
amalgam fillings according to the IAOMT protocol.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Robert Herzog, Jr., D.D.S.
Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry

518.427.2447 • Fax 427.7346

Our goal is to provide our patients with quality treatment in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.

651 Delaware Ave. • Albany, NY • www.651dental.com

~ ADVERTORIAL ~

What is Balayage?

I

am sure you
have heard the
word all over
lately.. in beauty
magazines,
television and
the internet.
Balayage is a
french word
that means
“to sweep”. Balayge is actually
a highlighting technique used to
create graduated, natural looking
highlights. The technique is
achieved by painting actual pieces
of your hair through individual
sections. Balayage allows you
to create movement in the hair
with the right placement of the
highlights. At bloom. Salon we pride
ourselves in continuing education
and the ability we have to create a
look as unique as the guest in our
chair. Balayage is a perfect if you

are looking for low maintenance,
natural hair color. It can also be
used to achieve a bolder look, if
that is what you are looking for. It
is such a universal technique and
we can see it being around in the
hair industry for a very long time.
The true beauty in this technique is
that the possibilities are absolutely
endless. Call bloom. Salon to
reserve your appointment today!
Location: 5 Maple Rd.,
Voorheesville. For more information,
call 518-655-0043 or visit
bloomSalonAndMakeupBar.com.
See ad, page 33.

natural awakenings

December 2016

7

newsbriefs
Healthy Holiday Gift Party

K

athleen Vroman, LMT, owner of
Community Massage and a consultant for
Beautycounter, is hosting a Have a Healthy
Holiday Gift Party from 6 to 8:30 p.m.,
December 1. She says, “Give healthy and
healing gifts to loved ones this year. Massage
is the perfect gift that is always appreciated,
along with comforting wellness products that
help relieve aches and pains. Beautycounter
products are safe and effective, made with
quality ingredients that nourish and protect
your skin naturally. Give everyone the gifts
of feeling great and looking great, too!” Light
snacks and refreshments will be served.
Healthy products from Beautycounter,
an all-natural non-toxic skin care and cosmetic line, wellness items, massage
gift certificates, herbal neck wraps, aroma sprays and bath salts, are available.
Choose from gift sets or create unique gift bags for family and friends.
Event location: 33 Second St., Troy (first floor). Preview holiday items at
Beautycounter.com/kathleenvroman. For more information, call 272-1400 or visit
TroyCommunityMassage.com. Vroman’s practice, Community Massage, is located
at 270 River St., Ste. 201, Troy, in The River Triangle Building. See ad, page 10.

Mental Healthy
Self-Help
Training Service

J

ason Paden, a board member of
the National Alliance on Mental
Illness for three years, struggled
most of his life with major mental
illness until he successfully
achieved full recovery years ago. He learned that by actively adapting to a mental
healthy mind/body/heart/soul lifestyle, his mental illness symptoms diminished.
Paden, now a motivational speaker at colleges, schools and agencies, tells his
intriguing story about how he overcame his condition through both traditional
medical and holistic means.
His newest venture, Mental Healthy Self-Help Trainings, a individual
mentorship service, assists people using custom-designed videos to explore selfhelp wellness options and guide them through the process of discovering their
own unique answers that may lead them to a mental healthy state of being from
the comfort and privacy of their phone and computer.
According to the World Heath Organization, one in four people will
deal with a mental health condition at some point in their lives. He feels that by
incorporating a whole person approach, he can complement a person’s current
treatments and they will begin feeling better and better and become mental
healthy, just as he did.
For a free 15-minute phone consultation, call 518-414-4163. For more information,
visit MentalHealthyTraining.com. See ad, page 28.
8

NY Capital District

AlbanyAwakenings.com

Singing Bowls,
Native American
Flute and Pyramids

A

ll Energy, Yoga, Healing and
Sound Therapy offers unique
yoga classes, meditations, workshops
and healing events that incorporate
crystal singing bowls, pyramids and
the Native American flute. This month,
there are several opportunities to
experience this work given by owners
Cheryl Beckman and Daniel Roy.
On Saturdays at the Women’s
Club of Albany, Yoga/Crystal Singing
Bowls & Pyramids is held at 9:15
a.m. ($15). Men are welcome, too.
The Woman’s Club is a nonprofit
organization, and part of the class fee
goes to the club.
A special Crystalline Sound
Therapy Guided Meditation will be
offered from 7:30 to 9 p.m. ($25) at Jai
Yoga Studio, in Albany, on December
2. This experience includes a guided
meditation, energy alignment, kambaba
jasper and snack social.
“The sounds of crystal singing
bowls stimulate deep into the body
tissues promoting healing from within,”
shares Beckman. “The combination of
yoga, meditation and sound therapy
helps to distress and release energetic
blocks, reinstating the natural sense of
balance and harmony to the body.”
Locations: Women’s Club, 725 Madison
Ave, Albany; Jai Yoga, 1092 Madison
Ave, Albany. Register for Dec. 2 event
at JaiAlbany.com. For more information
about events at Good Karma Studio, call
518-810-7646 or visit AllEnergyHealing.
com/events.

The Art of Conscious Living
Island Retreat for
Renewal and Discovery
March 11-18, 2017
Led by Louise M. Finlayson, Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School trained
Clinical Psychologist and
Transformational Coach

Experience the natural beauty
of Roatán Island (Honduras)
while learning to:
~Move beyond your fears
~Experience deeper and more
effective relationships
~Overcome the beliefs and behaviors
that are holding you back
~Master practical tools to initiate
healing and well-being

L

ouise M. Finlayson, Ph.D. is pleased
to announce she will again lead a
7-day transformational experience
of guided visualization, meditation,
heart-centered sharing, and interactive
exercises to explore the art of conscious
living in 2017. This retreat for renewal
and discovery will again be offered in
the spectacular natural beauty of Roatan
Island, Honduras. It will focus on the
transformational knowledge and skills
we need to change our thought patterns,
expand our self-awareness, and identify
the mental habits that interfere with our
sense of happiness and balance.

The all-inclusive retreat will be held
at the locally owned Upachaya Eco-Lodge
and Wellness Resort (www.upachaya.
com). Nestled in the lush jungle on the
island of Roatan, Honduras, it is the
perfect getaway resort, offering waterfront
access for snorkeling and kayaking as
well as natural wildlife watching in a
spectacular setting.
Workshop activities will be held
daily, with breaks for recreation and
reflection. The program also includes
yoga lessons, a guided snorkel tour,
and a sunset cruise as well as a special
celebration on the last evening.
Participants will have time to
experience the natural beauty of Roatan

Single occupancy:
Early bird rate until January 15, 2017: $2,875/pp
Regular rate after January 15, 2017: $3,200/pp
Double occupancy:
Early bird rate until January 15, 2017: $2,150/pp
Regular rate after January 15, 2017: $2,475/pp
Quad occupancy:
Early bird rate until January 15, 2017: $2,000/pp
Regular rate after January 15, 2017: $2,325/pp

Island for optional activities such as paddle
boarding, kayaking, or spa services, or a
plant medicine bush tour for a separate
fee. This retreat is open to men and
women with a desire to engage in a
profound exploration of conscious living.
For more information on this
unique experience, visit http://
louisefinlayson.com/roatan-2017-theart-of-conscious-living/
Louise M. Finlayson, Ph.D., clinical
psychologist and transformational coach
has been helping people for over 25 years.
In addition to her busy psychotherapy and
coaching practice, she offers workshops,
retreats, and motivational speaking. Dr.
Finlayson’s mission is to teach and inspire
lasting transformation for individuals and
organizations
Past participants have called this trip “a
wonderful experience” in a “warm and
open group.”
“This workshop has given me more than
I ever expected to receive from it.” (C.G.,
participant in 2016)
“The workshop has given me the skills and
insight to change the experience I have in
my relationship with others, myself, and
especially my children,” (C.G., participant in
2016)
Dr. Finlayson’s mission is to teach and
inspire lasting transformation for individuals
and organizations in order to help awaken
consciousness on the planet. For more
information on Dr. Finlayson, visit her website at
www.louisefinlayson.com. See ad, back cover.

Reserve your space before January 15 and receive a
$325 early-bird discount!

natural awakenings

-ADVERTORIAL-

December 2016

9

newsbriefs
CranioSacral
Therapy Can Help
Relieve Headaches

E

lena Ajdelsztajn, a New York State
licensed massage therapist and
owner of Welcome Home Integrative
Bodywork, in Albany, is providing
Elena Ajdelsztajn relief from headaches and migraines
with CranioSacral Therapy.
“Headaches can happen when the meningeal
membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord are in
a contracted state, possibly due to surgery or trauma to
the head.” says Ajdelsztajn. “These membrane restrictions
can put pressure around nerves and blood vessels, causing
pain and also making it more difficult for fluids to drain
out of the head.”
CranioSacral Therapy uses gentle light-touch
techniques applied to the skull bones in order to reach and
release the deeper meningeal membranes that are attached to
these bones. She explains, “It can help relieve pressure, pain
and improve fluid circulation in the head, helping provide
tremendous relief for headaches and migraines.”
New customers receive 20 percent off their first visit. New
location: 17 Computer Dr. E., Albany. For appointments
or more information call 518-783-6091 or visit
WelcomeHomeIntegrativeBodywork.com. See ad, page 28.

It’s

YOUR Body...
I Can Help You
Feel GOOD
Again!

Looking for...
• Pain relief?
• Stress relief?
• Quiet relaxation?

COMMUNITY

Massage & Holistic Therapies

Welcome to your Urban Oasis!
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Along With
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Drinks! A green gathering for
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those that work, volunteer or have a
passion for promoting the environment,
conservation and sustainability, meets
from 5 to 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of
each month at Harveyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant and
Bar library room.
Location: 14 Phila St., Saratoga
Springs. For more information,
email Ric Rosenfield Info@
sustainablesaratoga.org.

kudos

Balance Massage Studio, Inc. is
celebrating 16 years of business
in Delmar, offering a variety
of massage and energy healing
services in a peaceful and relaxing
environment. The professional
staff New York state licensed
massage therapists are available
to customize sessions.
Location: 316 Delaware Ave.
Ste. 25, Main Square Shops,
Delmar. For more information,
call 518-475-9999 or visit
BalanceMassageStudio.com. See
ad, page 36.

natural awakenings

December 2016

11

A Cup of
Peppermint Tea
Boosts Alertness

R

esearchers from Northumbria University, in
England, have discovered that drinking
peppermint tea can improve working and longterm memory. After 180 healthy adults filled
out questionnaires about their mood, they were
selected at random to consume one of three
drinks—peppermint tea, chamomile tea or water—and then rested for 20 minutes.
The subjects were then tested for memory and other cognitive factors and
given a second mood questionnaire. Those that drank peppermint tea exhibited
improvements in both types of memory and were more alert than the other two
groups. The participants that drank chamomile tea displayed reductions in both
memory and attention functions compared to the others.
Researcher Mark Moss, Ph.D., notes, “The enhancing and arousing effects of
peppermint and the calming, sedative effects of chamomile observed in this study
are in keeping with the claimed properties of these herbs and suggest beneficial
effects can be drawn from their use.”

LubaShi/Shutterstock.com

healthbriefs

Fracking Linked to
Asthma Attacks

esearchers from the Johns Hopkins School of
Public Health have found that individuals living close to a natural gas hydraulic fracking site
have a significantly higher occurrence of asthma
attacks. The study examined health records from
the Geisinger Health System, a healthcare provider in Pennsylvania, where the fracking industry
has experienced incredible growth of more than
9.000 natural gas wells in the past decade.
The records of more than 35,000 Geisinger
asthma patients between the ages of 5 and 90
were studied between 2005 and 2012. Patients that reported attacks were mapped
and studied in relation to the fracking well locations, and the results compared
with other patients not reporting attacks in the same year. The researchers discovered that those that lived in close proximity to multiple or larger active natural gas
wells were 1.5 to four times more likely to experience asthma attacks.
Brian S. Schwartz, a medical doctor and a professor in the Department of
Environmental Health Services at the Bloomberg School, in Baltimore, Maryland,
was the senior author of the study. He states, “We are concerned with the growing
number of studies that have observed health effects associated with this industry.
We believe it’s time to take a more cautious approach to [fracking] well development with an eye on environmental and public health impacts.”

You don't need to change the world; you need to change yourself.
~ Miguel Ruiz
12

NY Capital District

AlbanyAwakenings.com

bubutu/Shutterstock.com

R

R

esearchers from the University of São Paulo Medical
School, in Brazil, have found high levels of tinnitus, a
ringing or buzzing in the ear, and hearing loss in adolescents that use ear bud speakers. They examined the hearing
of 170 students between the ages of 11 and 17 and asked
them about their experiences with tinnitus in the previous
year. More than half of the respondents had experienced the condition.
The principal investigator for the study, Tanit Ganz Sanchez, an associate professor of otolaryngology at the medical school, notes that the prevalence of tinnitus
among adolescents should be viewed as an early warning of a serious hearing loss
risk. She says, “If this teenage generation continues to expose themselves to very high
noise levels, they’ll probably suffer from hearing loss by the time they’re 30 or 40.”

Sunlight Reduces
the Risk of
Pancreatic Cancer

R

Claudia Paulussen/Shutterstock.com

Teens Hooked on Ear
Buds Prone to Tinnitus

esearchers from the University of California
(UC) School of Medicine at San Diego have
determined that regions with greater exposure
to ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation from the sun and
reduced cloud cover have significantly lower incidence of pancreatic cancer.
In an analysis of global rates of the disease, the
research, published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, demonstrated that areas with more sunshine had
only one-sixth of the pancreatic cancer rates of areas with less sunshine.
The farther from the equator, the less is the exposure to UV-B radiation, leading to
less body production of vitamin D.
Study author Cedric F. Garland, doctor of public health, a UC professor and
member of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, says, “If you’re living at a high
latitude or in a place with a lot of heavy cloud cover, you can’t make vitamin D most
of the year, which results in a higher-than-normal risk of getting pancreatic cancer.”
According to World Cancer Research Fund International, 338,000 new
cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed annually, and it is the seventh most
lethal form of cancer.

Potatoes Don’t
Pack on Pounds

R

esearch from scientists at the
University of California, Davis has
mashed the notion that potatoes cause
weight gain. The researchers tested 90
overweight people divided into three
groups, with all of them eating five to
seven servings of potatoes each week
over a three-month period.
Two groups reduced their calorie
intake by 500 calories per day, with
one group eating low-glycemic index
(GI) foods and the other group eating
high-GI foods. The third group had no
calorie restrictions. Despite the increased potato consumption during the
study period, all three groups showed
slight weight loss and reduced body
mass index.
The researchers
concluded, “Potato
intake did not cause
weight gain.”

Did you know that we are all
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natural awakenings

December 2016

13

healthbriefs

Reducing Food Waste
The Arts
Relieve Holiday I
Stress

t’s time to step up to the plate—but not waste what’s
on it. The Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC) reports that about 40 percent of all food
in the United States goes uneaten. Each year, we are
throwing away the equivalent of $165 billion in discarded food, making it the single largest component of
solid waste in America’s landfills and costing the average
family of four between $1,350 and $2,275 annually.
About two-thirds of household waste consists of spoiled food that’s not used
in time; the rest is caused by people cooking or serving too much food. Learn easy
steps to reduce food waste via the NRDC free online fact sheet at Tinyurl.com/
StopFoodWaste.
~ADVERTORIAL~

T

he hustle and bustle of the holiday season can leave us stressed,
fatigued and even anxious or depressed. But according to studies
sponsored by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s
Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, there
are many artful ways to relieve these
conditions: Painting, dancing, playing
a musical instrument or even attending a theater performance or concert
may help us feel better, healthier and
more upbeat.
The researchers worked with
more than 50,000 participants, using
questionnaires, interviews, clinical
examinations, and blood and urine
samples to assemble detailed health
profiles. The data was controlled
for chronic illness, social relations,
smoking and alcohol.
What most surprised the researchers was that the study findings held true regardless of socioeconomic status; whether a truck
driver or bank president, participating in the arts had a positive effect
on the individual’s sense of health
and well-being.

Today you are you.
That is truer than true.
There is no one alive who
is you-er than you!
~Dr. Seuss
14

NY Capital District

D

Ionic Foot Bath for
Environmental Toxins

etoxifying our body can result
in restored vitality, increased
mental clarity, clear skin, a stronger
immune system, and looking and
feeling healthier. Mounting evidence
indicates that pollution or the air,
water and land with toxins is slowly
Before ion cleanse (left)
destroying our bodies. Pollution also
and after a 30-minute treatment (right)
includes noise, light and even the
electromagnetic spectrum. Ionic therapy for detoxification is safe, effective treatment
that allows the body to heal the natural way.
The adverse effects of ozone pollution alone include respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain and congestion. Chemicals are
an ever-present part of our lives; we treat illnesses, paint our houses and even clothe
ourselves with products that have been developed through chemical research and
may contain toxins that are not regulated for safety.
A toxin is simply a poison that can affect the body by internal or external means.
It can be a chemical which occurs naturally or in synthetic form. More than 120,000
manmade chemicals have been introduced into the environment in one form or another,
and this number continues to grow each year at a phenomenal rate.
At the same time, microbial toxins influenced by the vast number of chemicals
are mutating faster that we keep up. Each category of microbes produces species that
generate toxins in host cells in the body, and studies are establishing links between the
accumulation of toxins in our tissues and the development of chronic disease.
Dr. Terry Dhanjal-Garcha, located at 56 Clifton Country Rd. Ste. 104, in Clifton Park, is a board-certified chiropractor with more than 20 years of medical
experience. She is offering an extra treatment with the purchase of five for
Natural Awakenings readers for a limited time. For appointments, call 518357-3262. See ad, page 39.

AlbanyAwakenings.com

globalbriefs

Detox Package $49
EXPIRATION: 12/31/16

News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together
in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

Ocean Watch

Sea Mammals Update
alekss-sp/Shutterstock.com

2016 was a mixed year for whales and
dolphins and by extension, humans.
Marine Biologist Sylvia Earle states the
importance of ocean health this way:
“With every drop of water you drink,
every breath you take, you’re connected
to the sea. The ocean is the blue heart
of the planet. There’s still time, but not a lot, to turn things around.”
Scientists have discovered a new, black-colored species of whale that’s onethird the size of a Baird’s beaked whale. Yet to be named, it’s rarely seen, feeding
in deep canyons in the Bering Sea.
The oldest-known orca whale, Granny, at 105, swims Washington’s coastline.
Wild orcas usually live 60 to 80 years; captives, 40 years at most. Iceberg, the only
known adult white orca, age 22, was spotted in Russian coastal waters earlier this year.
In 2013, a Korean marine park retrained five dolphins to feed naturally and
released them into the sea, where they rejoined their original pod. Recent sightings
found them thriving, affording hope for the 2,900 dolphins in marine parks,
aquariums and zoos worldwide.
Pink dolphins in Hong Kong’s bustling harbor remain endangered. In 2003,
there were 158; by 2014, only 61. The Baiji River dolphin, only found in China,
has been declared extinct. Vaquitas, small porpoises in the Gulf of California, declined from 97 in 2014 to 60 this year, most drowned in commercial fishing nets;
it may be extinct by 2018.

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Bye-Bye Birdies

North American Species at
High Risk

10-day Detox Menu with Recipes &
a 1-hour Health Coaching Session

The 2016 annual Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count in February (Audubon.
org/content/2014-great-backyard-birdcount-summary) and a report compiled
by the North American Bird Conservation
Initiative (StateOfTheBirds.org/2016)
show that more than a third of all North
American bird species are at risk of
becoming extinct unless significant action is taken, especially ocean and tropical
birds. The governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico created the North
American Bird Conservation Initiative in 1999.
More than half the species that rely on oceans and tropical forests are on a
special watch list because of small and declining populations, limited ranges and
severe threats to their habitats. The report pinpoints invasive predators such as rats
and cats on nesting islands, as well as overfishing, pollution and climate change.
Ways to address the problem include removing predators, expanding protected
marine areas and reducing the amount of plastic products that end up in the ocean
and can trap or choke birds.
Many species such as long-distance migratory shore birds in coastal, grassland
and arid habitats are declining steeply. The main causes are rising sea levels,
coastal development, encroaching human activity and oil spills.
natural awakenings

December 2016

15

globalbriefs
Good Move

Chinese officials have announced dietary guidelines
designed to reduce the country’s meat consumption
by 50 percent. The campaign includes a series of
billboards and advertisements featuring American celebrities Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron.
“China’s move to cut meat consumption in half
would not only have a huge impact on public health,
it is also a massive leadership step towards drastically
reducing carbon emissions and reaching the goals set out in the Paris agreement,”
says Cameron.

Somchai Som/Shutterstock.com

Source: EcoWatch.com

Greening Planet

Satellites Reveal Unexpected Plant
Growth

The study Greening of the Earth and its Drivers, published by an international team in the
journal Nature Climate Change, shows significant greening of a quarter to one-half of the
Earth’s vegetated lands based on satellite data from
the
past 33 years. This represents an increase in leaves
on
plants and trees that produce sugars using sunlight energy to mix atmospheric
carbon dioxide (CO2) with water and nutrients from the soil.
These sugars are the source of food, fiber and fuel for life on Earth. More sugars are produced when there is more of this greenhouse gas in the air in a process
called CO2 fertilization.
About 85 percent of the Earth’s land is free of ice and covered by vegetation,
currently encompassing 32 percent of the planet’s total surface area. Lead author
Dr. Zaichun Zhu, a researcher from Peking University, in China, states, “The greening over the past 33 years reported in this study is equivalent to adding a green
continent about two times the size of mainland USA, and has the ability to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system.” The effect
may serve as a carbon sink to help counter climate change.

Humans an Endangered Species
The UK-based nonprofit Global Challenges Foundation’s annual report on
global catastrophic risk (Tinyurl.com/
GlobalExtinctionReport) has found that
the risk of human extinction is higher
than we might expect. The Stern Review (Tinyurl.com/The-Stern-Review),
the British premier government report
on the economics of climate change,
estimates a 0.1 percent risk of human
extinction every year.
“We don’t expect any of the
events that we describe to happen
in any specific 10-year period. They
might—but on balance, they probably won’t,” says Sebastian Farquhar,
director of the Global Priorities Project.
United Nations-approved climate models estimate that temperatures might rise
six to 10 degrees Celsius, which pushes
the probability of extinction beyond
3 percent, even with a considerable
decrease in carbon emissions.
Nuclear war, natural disasters such
as volcanic eruptions, genetic engineering gone awry and pandemic plagues
figure in too, but the biggest threat
might be the ever-increasing human
population. According to a paper published in the journal Nature by Elizabeth
Hadly, a professor of environmental
biology at Stanford University, such
growth has followed the trajectory of
a typical invasive species and suggests
there may be a looming global population downturn. Still, humans are
capable of exponentially growing their
population several times over through
the invention of new technologies and
cultural shifts, regardless of Earth’s
natural carrying capacity.

ecotip

kavring/Shutterstock.com

Eco-Toy Story

Safe, Fun Gifts for Kids
During the holiday gift buying season, it’s good to recall
the days of old-fashioned toys.
Simple, wooden toys made with
non-toxic paints are far safer
than those sprayed with varnishes and paints containing lead
and volatile organic compounds.
Plastics can emit unhealthy
chemicals used during manufacturing, which also produces
environmental pollution. Pieces can
break off, possibly injuring soft skin, or
be consumed by toddlers with dangerous results. A recent report
by Environment California, a research
and policy center, found that products
designed for babies and young children, such as soft plastic teethers,
bath accessories and others, contain
phthalates. Many toys require batteries
containing heavy metals like mercury
and cadmium.
ChasingGreen.org recommends
eco-conscious makers of toys available
at GreatGreenBaby.com, including organic cotton stuffed animals; BabyBunz.
com, featuring sustainably harvested
cherry wood rattles and organic Egyptian
cotton animals; and GreenToys.com,
with play meal cookware and serving
pieces made from bioplastic, consisting of a corn and starch resin. Here are
other factors to consider.
Educational toys can “enhance
language, conceptual understanding

• Preferred method to detect early
children
spinal/nerve dysfunction in children

ian toys available at Barnes &
Noble and BarnesAndNoble.
com. PristinePlanet.com sells
wood puzzles, solar-powered
robots and board games from
the Golden Gate National Park
Conservancy. The Discovery
Channel Store has safe toys
and books for kids.
Follow age guidelines in
choosing gifts, advises Steve
Pasierb, president and CEO of
the Toy Industry Association.
“Age-grading has nothing to do
with how smart a child is—it’s
based on the developmental
skills and abilities at a given
age and the specific features of a toy.”
Practice conservation while
saving money by canvassing thrift and
consignment shops for classic card
and board games.

and numerical and spatial cognition,”
according to a study in the journal
Mind, Brain and Education. Six-to-8year-olds can gain an appreciation for
archaeology playing with Smithson-

discover your own constitution,
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Dietary Intake Isn’t Always Enough For Preventing Thyroid-Related Health Conditions
Once a rare problem in the Western world, iodine deficiency
is on the increase in North America. This could be related to
radiation, environmental pollutants and modern, industrial
agricultural practices causing a decrease of minerals in the

soil. This results in poor iodine content in foods. The
answer is simple: Taking Natural Awakenings’ Detoxified
Iodine in the right dosage can rebalance thyroid function
and restore health to the thyroid and the rest of the body.

atigue due to physical or mental exertion is common in
those beleaguered by stress, poor eating habits and insomnia, struggling to balance the needs of family and career
and too often using caffeine and other stimulants to artificially
rebound energy. James L. Wilson, Ph.D., a doctor of chiropractic
and naturopathy, educates medical professionals about an even
more serious health issue he identifies as “adrenal fatigue”; it’s
characterized by below-optimal adrenal function induced by
an overload of such stressors. Our two walnut-sized adrenal
glands, one atop each kidney, produce vital hormones that help
control heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and many other
functions, including how the body deals with stress.

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simply being able to perceive
and interpret the subtle energetic
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Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

www.turnanewleafmassage.com

Identifying the Core Issue

In his book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome, Wilson sheds light on the scope of the problem.
“The fact that adrenal fatigue is unrecognized by conventional medicine has left millions of people suffering from an
untreated problem that interferes with their ability to function
normally and capacity to enjoy life. For those whose adrenal
glands are ‘running on empty’, even something as basic as
happiness seems almost out of reach,” comments Wilson,
who resides in Tucson, Arizona.
Individuals suffering from adrenal fatigue are most
concerned about their low moods, energy, mental acuity and
libido, for which conventional medicine typically prescribes
antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. These medications do
nothing to revive adrenal functioning.
This faulty condition also affects weight gain and a
propensity toward the development of some diseases, including
fibromyalgia. “Your resiliency, energy, endurance and very life
depend on the proper functioning of the adrenals,” Wilson says.
We’ve inherited our sympathetic nervous system and its
natural awakenings

December 2016

19

stress response of fight-or-flight from our prehistoric ancestors. It hasn’t evolved to differentiate between an acute threat
to survival and the chronic threats from looming deadlines,
financial pressures and other modern-day worries.
“The adrenal stress response to physical danger or any
perceived psychological threat is identical—the release of
norepinephrine and epinephrine responsible for cascading
physiological reactions,” explains Dr. Vijay Jain, who treats
fatigue from an integrative perspective at his Mind Body
Wellness Center, in Palm Coast, Florida.

Suggested Treatments

Adrenal fatigue is mainly a self-induced health problem that
doesn’t just appear. It results from an accumulation of ongoing choices that we can change.
Jain applies ayurvedic principles to reestablish balance
in the body’s three prominent mind-body types that influence personal well-being. These are known as vata, pitta and
kapha. For people primarily characterized by vata and pitta
typology, fatigue is the result of being overactive and burning
the candle at both ends. For those with kapha constitutions,
fatigue is the outcome of a sedentary lifestyle with insufficient movement and eating the wrong foods for them.
He further recommends getting more sleep with regular
bedtimes, practices such as yoga nidra meditation, pranayama
(yogic breathing) and a slower-paced yoga practice with longerheld meditative poses, as well as massage and a diet designed
to restore our biological energies, or doshas, to a balanced state.
“Depending on a patient’s constitution I advise some to slow

down and burn 50 percent less of their candle, while I tell others to increase their physical activity and improve their diet.”
Jain also recommends a type of ayurvedic purification
and detoxification treatment that involves a series of five
therapies including massage and herbal treatments. Performed in sequence, these allow the body and mind to drop
into a state of peacefulness. Acupuncture treatments are also
helpful, along with a regimen of adaptogenic herbs such as
ginseng, schisandra and ashwagandha, according to Jain.
In Happy Healthy Thyroid: The Essential Steps to Healing
Naturally, author Andrea Beaman writes about how she recovered naturally from adrenal fatigue. To restore energy and vitality to the body, she further recommends the healing practices of
hatha yoga, qigong and tai chi. “These modalities build energy,
whereas power yoga, and cardiovascular exercises drain energy
in fatigued individuals,” advises Beaman. She notes that it can
take six months to two years to restore desired energy levels.
Beaman counsels individuals with behavioral characteristics that make it more challenging to burn less of their
candle. She grabs their attention with the critical nature
of their situation. “‘You are in and out of life in a blink. If
you’re exhausted at age 48, how are you going to live a vibrant, happy and exuberant life right up to the finish line?’
That generally works,” she says.
Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.
Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

More Tips to Beat Fatigue
by Linda Sechrist

T

he earliest signs of adrenal fatigue are low energy and
the need for several strong shots of caffeine to kick-start
the morning or get through an afternoon slump. If these
symptoms arise, take steps to begin nourishing, restoring
and de-stressing the adrenal glands.
Eliminate stressors. Reevaluate daily schedules to
make room for a regular session of yoga, meditation, tai
chi or qigong.
Establish a regular sleeping schedule aligned with the
body’s natural cycle. Slipping between the sheets no later
than 10 p.m. can mean better and deeper rest.
Make dietary changes, starting with 40 grams of protein each morning. Limit the intake of stimulants, including caffeine. Eliminate sugar and processed grains. Add
adaptogenic herbs and organic coconut and olive oils to
dishes and food preparation.
Eat nutritious foods such as greens and brightly
colored vegetables. As a result, blood sugar and insulin
levels will take fewer rollercoaster rides, easing the work
of the adrenals.
Refrain from over-exercising. Excessive cardio or
endurance training is hard on the adrenals, so substitute
more relaxing forms of exercise.
Practice calming mindfulness and deep, controlled,
diaphragmatic breathing.

20

NY Capital District

AlbanyAwakenings.com

Collaborative Cutting-Edge Medicine
by Linda Sechrist

L

ocating the proverbial needle in
a haystack today might just be
easier than finding a medical
doctor, doctor of chiropractic
medicine and a thermographic
specialist that collaborate for
the overall good of the patient.
Fortunately, individuals in the
Albany area don’t have to waste
time or energy looking for this
unique and collaborative effort that
is destined to become the future
of integrative functional medicine,
because it already exists.
Pioneers of a path to
restoring health, as well as a
plan for weighing and measuring
the progress of prevention and
wellness to maintain it, Stuart Erner,
M.D., founder of Capital Region
Progressive Medicine and Longevity
Practice, Dr. Joseph S. Gulyas, DC,
founder of Northeast Spine and
Wellness, and Dr. Muhammad
Jamil, founder of Thermal Eyez offer
medical practices and protocols
that complement each other. As
“brothers in medicine”, as they call
it, the three men prefer their similar
perspective on an optimal wellness
model of integrative and functional
medicine over the conventional
medicine model, which is focused on
sickness and disease.
Using complementary medical
protocols, good nutrition and
supplementation as the basis of health
care, Erner and Gulyas offer patients
opportunities to polish their priceless
pearl of good health on a regular basis.
Erner, who has been in practice for 37
years, doesn’t write many prescriptions.
“I prescribe medications only when
necessary,” says Erner, whose practice
has been growing consistently since
2000 when he began focusing on
lifestyle medicine that begins with
in-depth, 90-minute to two-hour-long
initial consultation. “Since I’ve been
applying what I learned from studying
integrative and functional medicine,
as well as anti-aging medicine and
environmental medicine, my practice
has become patient-focused, which
is why I talk with the patient about
their entire medical and personal
history. This in-depth conversation
reveals the clues and insights I

(L to R) Stuart Erner, Joseph S. Gulyas
and Muhammad Jamil
need to begin resolving their health
challenges,” he advises.
A mutual patient introduced
Erner and Gulyas. “One of my longtime
patients was seeing Dr. Gulyas for a
back problem. He thought that Joe and
I would hit it off since we had similar
holistic ideas about healthcare. He was
right. When we met, I discovered that
Joe was looking to rent secondary office
space closer to Albany. I had space
available to sublease. As we came
to know each other better, we began
referring patients and working together
as a team. We now share a number of
patients,” explains Erner.
“When I’m performing a spinal
alignment in my Clifton Park office and
I know that my patient can benefit from
Dr. Erner’s medical expertise, I refer
them to him. The two or three days a
week when I’m in my Albany office,
I can simply walk my patients over
to him so that we can get his opinion
on their particular health challenges.
Subleasing office space in Dr. Erner’s
location has proved beneficial to all the
patients that we share,” advises Gulyas.
Throughout his 29 years of

experience in practicing chiropractic
and holistic healthcare, Gulyas has
found that the biggest challenge for
individuals that want to use lifestyle
medicine is their lack of knowledge
about the right complementary
methodologies, supplementation,
diet and body cleansing to apply
for their specific need. “The other
problem they encounter is looking
for a knowledgeable medical
professional who knows about
integrative medicine and what
supplements or herbs can be taken
with their prescriptions. Regarding
trauma and emergency care, no one
has any questions, because in this
area we have medical centers and
hospitals. Our conventional medical
system really needs to do better
for individuals with chronic health
problems, as well as those who want
to achieve optimal health,” explains
Gulyas, who feels a great sense of
personal reward in spending quality
time with patients.
Erner and Gulyas agree that
a nutritional supplement used in
appropriate dosages and time
intervals may act similarly to
pharmaceutical agents, and that any
physiological changes can take a
period of weeks or months.
“On follow-up visits, patients
often bring me a bag of 20 to 40
different supplements and herbs that
they are taking. In the majority of
cases, I reduce 50 to 80 percent of
their supplements because they don’t
need them. Also, a lot of ingredients
are replicated in the variety they are
consuming. I always smile when
patients tell me, ‘Hey doc, you’re saving
me money,’” notes Erner.
Keeping track of inflammation,
the root cause of all illness in the
body, is essential to keeping a patient
healthy, as well as tracking their healing
process. Erner and Gulyas rely on
Jamil’s thermal imaging, which shows
areas of blood flow, heat emission and
circulatory quality on both sides of the
body. By utilizing thermal imaging,
more information becomes available
to assist physicians, chiropractors
and therapists in the treatment of
chronic pain-related problems and
heart disease. Also, early detection of

natural awakenings

December 2016

21

arthritis can allow doctors to address
and prevent the root cause of joint
damage, deformity and disability
that often arise as a result of the
condition. In short, thermal imaging
is a great tool to help improve health
and wellness.
Erner and Gulyas are
passionate about the example
they are setting. Pioneers who are
creating a healthy legacy for their
communities, they emphasize that
integrative and functional medicine
doesn’t mean individuals have to
live a pure lifestyle. Both agree that
they need to eat a little cleaner,
which translates into eating more
organic and whole foods rather
than processed and sugary foods
and drinks. They also advise that
the body needs exercise to keep
joints lubricated and to improve
the cardiovascular system. More
sleep and less stress also make a
measurable difference.
“The problems in health care
are going faster than individuals are
learning about the alternatives to
conventional medical care. While
there are doctors such as Dr. Mark
Hyman and Dr. Andrew Weil, who
are nationally known for the type of
medicine that we are practicing, what
they are doing hasn’t trickled down
fast enough to the local level, so we
are taking the lead for the benefit
of our patients metabolic health,”
concur Erner and Gulyas.
Capital Region Progressive Medicine
and Longevity Practice, PLLC, 1873
Western Ave, Ste. 101, Albany. For
more information call 518-452-4910
or visit DrErner.com. See ad, page 10.
Northeast Spine and Wellness, 1873
Western Ave., Ste. 101, Albany;
1741 U.S. 9, Clifton Park. For more
information call 518-371-4800 or visit
DrGulyas.com. See ad, page 26.
Linda Sechrist is the senior staff writer
for Natural Awakenings. Connect with
her at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

A flower cannot blossom
without sunshine,
and man cannot live
without love.
~Max Müller

22

NY Capital District

Salt Air in the City
Salt Rooms Soothe Allergies
and Skin Conditions

A

by Avery Mack

ccording to the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation of America,
as many as 50 million Americans
are affected by seasonal or year-round
nasal allergies. Additionally, 56 million
suffer from eczema, psoriasis or rosacea.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs
may help, but aren’t a cure. Salt therapy
can be a gentler, all-natural solution for
easing associated symptoms.
While eating too much salt is bad
for the body, breathing it is a healthy
activity. The Greek word for salt is halos,
and halotherapy provides a welcome
alternative to conventional pills, sprays
and injections.
In the mid-1800s, after salt mine
workers in Poland were found to have a
low rate of respiratory illness, the Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Spa was established on the site of a mine to treat clinic
patients for asthma and allergies. That
pioneering facility is still in operation.
“In the beginning, I think salt
therapy was seen as a time-consuming
novelty. Now, holistically minded
people are more supportive,” says
Clay Juracsik, owner of the St. Louis
Salt Room, in Maplewood, Missouri.
The room’s walls are covered in salt,
with blocks of backlit Himalayan
pink salt at floor level. Clients wear
disposable booties to walk through

AlbanyAwakenings.com

inches-deep, loose, mineral-rich Dead
Sea salt to reclining chairs. The lights
dim, soft music plays and salt, rich
in negative ions, infuses the air for a
45-minute session.
“We have a second, smaller
room where the walls and floor are not
salted, so a child and parent can move
around or play without disturbing others.
Our youngest client was 2 weeks old,”
says Juracsik.
With the help of specially designed
machines and software, microscopic
salt particles one to five microns in
size are circulated through the air
to be deeply inhaled. As a natural
anti-inflammatory agent, salt helps
reduce swelling of throat tissues and
nasal passages, making breathing
easier for individuals suffering from
such respiratory ailments as allergies,
asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis.
“True halotherapy is based on
using 99 percent pure sodium chloride
in the halogenerator,” says Leo Tonkin,
co-founder of the Salt Therapy Association, in Boca Raton, Florida. “Dead
Sea, Himalayan or other salts can be
used as décor.”
“My husband, Gary, had three sinus
surgeries before he discovered a
salt room during a trip to London and
had a eureka moment,” relates Ellen

Patrick, owner of four Breathe Easy salt rooms in New York
City and nearby Westchester County.
“A client’s 4-year-old son tells Mom when he needs a
treatment to ‘make his nose work better,’” reports Lisa Cobb,
owner of Luxury on Lovers, in Dallas, Texas. “He uses a salt
bed similar in style to a tanning bed and large enough for his
mother to be with him for a 20-minute treatment. Pilots and
flight attendants like salt rooms to counteract the recirculated
air on planes. Athletes use them to increase lung capacity. A
treatment works like a visit to the ocean.”
A recent pilot study conducted
at The Salt Room, in Orlando, Florida, and published in
the International Journal of Respiratory and Pulmonary
Medicine, concluded, “Halotherpy is associated with improvement in symptoms of sinus disease in cystic fibrosis
and should be explored as an adjunct treatment.”
Salt’s anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial
properties may also reduce skin swelling and itchiness, and
even acne, without drying the skin. Increased lung capacity
aids blood
circulation, which also helps improve skin health. Salt room
operators note that frequent treatments are needed during
early stages of therapy or during acute outbreaks of conditions, but can be reduced to a maintenance level over time.
Juracsik remarks, “The best success I’ve seen is with respiratory ailments like bronchitis and pneumonia. We don’t
need a new, fancy pill for every illness. Salt is historically
proven to be a natural and effective way to improve respiratory health.”
Options go beyond basic treatments. “Meditating in
the salt room allows double relaxation,” comments Patrick.
“Salty yoga is one of my favorite therapies because clients
can exercise and breathe easier at the same time. Another
option comprises a sound bath, during which crystal bowl
music creates a vibration similar to piano notes to quiet
and focus the mind during a salt session.”
Salt treatments can be experienced regularly, seasonally or as needed. For those free of respiratory issues, a salt
room visit provides a refreshing way to relax, sit, chill and
breathe. Patrick views it as a form of stress management to
increase well-being.

New Capital Region Salt Den

T

he Salt Den is opening this
month at 654 Watervliet
Shaker Road., in Latham, as
Albany’s premiere salt cave
helping infants to senior
citizens to relax and breathe
easier through halotherapy
(salt therapy).
“The business will offer
clients a holistic alternative to
complement current medical treatments
to increase total well-being,” says owner
Robert Duff, who is a U.S. veteran.
Additional services to assist clients with
pain management and detoxification
will be completed through infrared
sauna, red light therapy and
massage therapies.
The Salt Den has won the
Veterans
in Economic Transition
Robert Duff
Conference (VETCON) business plan
competition, judged by a panel of local veteran-owned
businesses. Networking with several state agencies and fellow
veterans, Duff says, “It was a very rewarding experience.”
Natural Awakenings readers receive $5 off any first-time
service using code NA-Salt. For more information, visit Tinyurl.
com/TheSaltDenLatham.

Connect with the freelance writer via AveryMack@
mindspring.com.

natural awakenings

December 2016

23

medical system and got nothing,” says
Mills. With functional medicine, “In
a very short time, they had me feeling
nearly 100 percent.”

Distinctive Characteristics

The Rise of
Functional Medicine
New Paradigm Gets to the
Root Cause of Disease
by Lisa Marshall

B

y the end of 2014, Trina Mills,
of Parker, Arizona, had given up
on conventional medicine. She’d
been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder
17 years earlier and taken medication
ever since without feeling her symptoms of fatigue, muscle aches and stomach problems ever fully subside. She’d
visited endocrinologists, gastroenterologists and a half-dozen other specialists,
each of which offered a different diagnosis and prescribed a different drug.
At one point, she had her gallbladder removed. At another, her doctor
suspected she had bleeding in her brain
and sent her for a computerized axial
tomography (CAT) scan. Some thought
she was a hypochondriac; others said
she was depressed. “I would tell them,
‘I’m just depressed that you can’t figure
out why I’m so sick,’” she says.

24

NY Capital District

Weighing a skeletal 82 pounds,
the 54-year-old mother of three finally
wrote out a living will and braced for
the inevitable. Then she heard of a
new Center for Functional Medicine
opening at the prestigious, century-old
Cleveland Clinic. As the first clinic of
its kind to open at an academic medical center, it promised to look at the
underlying causes of disease, while
focusing on the whole person, rather
than isolated symptoms.
Intrigued, Mills caught a flight
to Ohio and soon was offering up 30
tubes of blood, stool and saliva samples, as well as an exhaustive life history. One year later, thanks to a series of
personalized diet and lifestyle changes,
she’s 10 pounds heavier and feels better
than she has in decades. “I spent a lot
of years and money in the traditional

AlbanyAwakenings.com

In the 25 years since nutritional biochemist Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., of Gig Harbor, Washington, coined the term, this
science-based, whole-body approach to
addressing chronic disease has gained
widespread traction. More than 100,000
physicians—60 percent of them medical
doctors—have trained with the Institute
for Functional Medicine he founded
in Washington and New Mexico, and
numerous medical schools have added
its tenets to their curricula. More naturopaths and chiropractors are also distinguishing themselves with a functional
medicine emphasis.
“It is not alternative medicine at
all,” stresses Bland, whose latest book,
The Disease Delusion, details how
functional medicine can curb chronic
diseases like arthritis, diabetes, dementia, and heart disease, which constitute
78 percent of U.S. health care costs.
“It’s the basis of 21st-century health
care,” he says.
For most of the 20th century,
conventional medicine centered on a
singular objective: Arrive at a diagnosis
and treat it with drugs or surgery. Then,
the alternative medicine movement proffered a toolbox of more natural therapies,
including acupuncture, herbs and massage to address these same diagnoses.
The 1990s brought integrative medicine,
a best-of-both-worlds approach.
“While all of the above have merit,
they lack the necessary guidance to
help practitioners determine which tools
work best for which patient,” says Dr.
Mark Hyman, director of the Cleveland
Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine.
“Alternative therapies and conventional
treatments are tools. We need a new
map that can teach us how to skillfully
use those tools,” maintains Hyman.
“That map is functional medicine.”
Because one chronic disease such
as diabetes can have dozens of underlying causes, or one culprit such as a
genetic predisposition or exposure to
toxins can lead to multiple chronic conditions, functional medicine focuses on
systems, rather than organs, and origins,
rather than diseases. “It’s about listening

to the patient’s story in a different way,
where the objective is not simply about
arriving at a diagnosis,” explains Bland.

Ferreting Out Key Clues

Key to discovering the underlying origins of a health issue are a host of new
gene, blood and gut health tests. “They
allow us to look under the patient’s
‘metabolic hood’ at the genetic and
biochemical factors influencing health,”
says Naturopathic Doctor Kara Fitzgerald, who heads up a functional medicine clinic in Newtown, Connecticut.
For instance, certain genes influence how a person burns and stores
fat. Depending on which variant a
patient has, based on a genetic test,
they might be guided toward a higheror lower-fat diet. Those genetically
prone to difficulty in metabolizing the
amino acid homocysteine (an excess
of which can raise the risk of heart
disease) might be advised to take folic
acid supplements.
If a patient displays intractable
gut problems, rather than simply look
for blood or pathogens in the stool,
Fitzgerald also looks at the DNA of
their gut microbiome, mapping out
which strains of good bacteria are
present or absent and prescribing prebiotics, probiotics or whole foods to
promote a healthful balance.
For another patient with thinning
hair and aching joints, she might use
specialized blood tests to look for micronutrient deficiencies, signs of allergies or certain autoantibodies—proteins
produced by the immune system that
mistakenly attack one’s own tissues—

that might herald a brewing autoimmune disorder. “Research shows that
predictive autoantibodies can show up
in the blood 10 or even 20 years before
an autoimmune disease such as Type 1
diabetes, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis makes itself known,” says
Fitzgerald, pointing to a seminal review
published in 2007 in Scientific American: “If a patient with mild, early-stage
symptoms is proactive with diet and
lifestyle changes, they may be able to
fend it off.”
High-tech tests aside, Bland stresses
that what’s most important is “a tool that
has been largely lost in medicine today:
Knowing how to listen to the patient.”
In a typical exam, Fitzgerald thoroughly inspects often neglected body
parts, including the tongue and fingernails, which can hold important clues
to underlying health. She asks about
past emotional trauma which might
trigger chronic disease, and inquires
about what environmental toxins and
harmful chemicals both the patient
and their birth parents may have been
exposed to. One example might be a
patient exposed to cigarette smoking
in utero having a bias toward an allergic disease. If their parents grew up
in a period of famine, they might have
inherited a genetic disposition for rapid
weight gain.
“She spent two-and-a-half hours
with me,” in her initial consultation,
recalls 52-year-old Lauren Zambrelli,
of Long Island, New York, who credits
Fitzgerald for helping her tame her multiple sclerosis into remission. “It was
like having a sister for a doctor.”

Lobby for Change
To lobby for consistent insurance coverage of more complementary therapies,
check out these resources.
CoverMyCare (CoverMyCare.org). This national grassroots advocacy campaign, a project of the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium, aims to support the proper full implementation of Section 2706 of the Affordable Care Act,
which states that insurers cannot leave licensed practitioners like naturopaths,
chiropractors, massage therapists or Oriental medicine practitioners out of their
provider networks. It still lacks enforcement at the state level, although Oregon
and Rhode Island recently passed legislation to fix the existing loophole;
California, Hawaii, Minnesota and New Mexico are working to do the same.
American Sustainable Business Council (Tinyurl.com/Integrative
Reimbursement). The organization recently launched a campaign to urge
insurers to cover integrative practices.

DIY Testing
W

hile most
practitioners
recommend that
patients consult
with a physician
to interpret their
test results, several
companies offer
gene, blood and
microbiome lab
testing directly to consumers. Here
are a few options to consider.
uBiome, Inc. (Ubiome.com): Send
in swab samples from gut, mouth,
nose, genitals and/or skin and the
company will genetically sequence
the DNA of resident bacteria and send
findings back within six weeks, identifying good and bad varieties present,
deficiencies, and how that personal
microbiome compares to others with
similar lifestyles, such as smokers, vegans, meat-eaters, etc. It’s also possible
to test a client’s microbiome over time
to see if dietary changes implemented
to change gut health are working.
WellnessFX (WellnessFX.com):
Visit an affiliated diagnostic lab to
submit blood samples with results
posted within a week on a secure
website. Different packages targeting weight loss, sports performance,
heart health or women’s health issues look at different biomarkers in
the blood, such as levels of certain
micronutrients, hormones or signs of
inflammation. Clients can request an
online consultation with a doctor or
dietitian to interpret the results.
Pathway Genomics (Pathway.
com): The company’s DNA Insight
Genetic Health and Wellness Tests
use genetic material taken from
saliva to analyze genetic markers.
Ordered via a licensed practitioner,
online or through a smartphone
app, clients receive a kit, send in a
sample and get results within three
weeks. The Pathway Fit tests snapshot 75 genetic markers related to
metabolism and sports performance.
Others look for genes that influence
nutrient absorption, heart health or
hormonal function.

natural awakenings

December 2016

25

Had “Normal” Thyroid Tests,

Yet You Still Don’t Feel
Like Yourself?
Blood work alone isn’t the
only test needed to find the
root cause of your symptoms

Functional medicine doctors don’t shy
away from prescription drugs when necessary, but they do lean decidedly toward
the lower-tech modalities, using dietary
supplements, allergen-free diets, exercise,
mind-body practices and toxin avoidance
as their primary tools. “We basically take
out the bad stuff from the body and put in
the good stuff,” says Hyman.
Maintaining good health is priceless, but without conventional insurance coverage, it can be expensive.
While Mills’ doctor visits were covered
by insurance (which is rare), she spends
roughly $1,000 a month on supplements to address her diagnosed leaky
gut syndrome, nutrient deficiencies and
mercury poisoning. Zambrelli has paid
thousands out of her own pocket, too.
Some people worry that, like most
conventional physicians, some functional medicine practitioners place too
much emphasis on expensive tests and
too little on the most crucial and affordable remedy—self-care. “Functional
medicine as a concept is an important
step forward,” says integrative medicine
pioneer Dr. James Gordon, founder of

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the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, in
Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.
“However, some practitioners do a lot of
tests and prescribe a lot of supplements
and work on cleaning out the gut, but
neglect the psychological, spiritual and
social issues. That concerns me.”
Bland and Hyman concede that
some practitioners over-test, but say that
will fade over time as they learn to better
discriminate which ones are useful for
specific patients. Several efforts also are
underway to get more functional medicine providers and the acupuncturists,
massage therapists and nutritionists they
work with covered under the Affordable
Care Act, which expressly emphasizes a
need for more preventive medicine.
Viewing the big picture, Bland
believes that functional medicine is
just what the country needs to save
on exploding healthcare costs. Rather
than spending dollars on extraordinary
measures to save heart attack victims or
diabetics in emergencies, we can prevent such dire situations by identifying
underlying problems sooner and halting
their progression.
In the meantime, some patients are
finding priceless relief. “Am I poorer
right now? Yes,” says Mills. “Am I
healthier? Way. It’s been so worth it.”
Lisa Marshall is a freelance health
writer in Boulder, CO, who specializes
in health care. Connect at LisaAnn
Marshall.com.

Dr. Anita Burock Stotts
On the Future of Functional Medicine
by Martin Miron

D

also emphasizes
octors that
prevention in a
are both
modern, practical
science-based
way. Functional
and patient-centered
medicine practitioners
are the hallmark
spend more time
of functional
with their patients
medicine. Dr. Anita
and develop truly
Burock Stotts, the
individualized
owner of Healthy
treatment plans.
Endeavors Medicine,
in Altamont, is one
Why is it
of few certified
getting so
functional medicine
practitioners in the
much attention
Capital Region who
recently?
is also an allopathic
Because our
(traditional) medical
conventional health
doctor. She started
care system is geared
out practicing
Anita Burock Stotts
towards treating acute
both primary
injuries and illnesses. Chronic illness
care and hospitalist medicine
is becoming much more of a factor in
prior to turning her attention to
the health of patients in industrialized
functional medicine. She received
countries, and we desperately need a
a medical degree from Medical
paradigm that will effectively address
College of Pennsylvania 1980 and
these complex situations. Functional
was certified by the Institute for
medicine practitioners look closely
Functional Medicine in 2014.
at the interactions among genetic,
environmental and lifestyle factors. The
How do you define functional
current epidemic of complex chronic
medicine?
illness will not be effectively addressed
by the old system of making a diagnosis
Functional medicine is a personalized,
and prescribing pharmaceutical agents
systems-oriented model that empowers
or procedures.
patients and practitioners to achieve
the highest expression of health by
What are some specific
working in collaboration to address
treatments that are unique to
the underlying causes of disease.
Functional medicine recognizes
functional medicine?
biochemical individuality and honors
For irritable bowel syndrome or other
the entire person: mind, body and spirit.
digestive woes not well addressed by
conventional medicine, a functional
What role do you see
medicine practitioner would use an
functional medicine playing
approach known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;4Râ&#x20AC;? program:
in our current healthcare
remove, replace, re-inoculate and
options?
repair. Importantly, the plan would be
individualized to fit the needs of each
Functional medicine expands the
patient and would be flexible, so that
toolbox available to help people
if circumstances change, so does the
achieve good health and to avoid
treatment plan.
disease. It is especially helpful in cases
Patients with indications that
of chronic illness not well served by
they are at risk to develop full-blown
conventional medicine alone, and
diabetes would be advised of the
natural awakenings

December 2016

27

importance of initiating treatment, including lifestyle, proper
nutrition, exercise and possibly supplements in order to
prevent or delay the onset of diabetes, recognizing that harm
is already being done to the body, and also that the condition
usually can be ameliorated or reversed.

Does it cost less for the consumer?
Difficult to say; most functional medicine practitioners do
not participate with health insurance, but on the other hand,
how can we put a price on good health?

What is different about the care than
traditional allopathic approaches?
Essentially, the care is individualized; science-based, yet
patient-centered. In functional medicine, we are not as
concerned about naming the disease as in identifying and
correcting imbalances, recognizing that the body-mind-spirit
has the innate capacity to heal many health problems if
we can remove or reduce the forces producing disease and
support the processes promoting healing. We recognize the
continuum between health and disease and the ability to
move back toward health. We are willing to listen carefully
and at length to patients and to collaborate with our patients.

Have you seen dramatic cures you did not
expect?
Yes, sometimes dramatic improvement, but more often a
growing understanding and improvement in health over time.
A functional medicine treatment plan can be demanding;
much more than simply taking a pill.

What are the specific limitations of functional
medicine?
Each practitioner of functional medicine should know
her or his limits and should develop a network of other
practitioners, conventional and integrative, to best serve
patients. I don’t think there is a set of specific limitations.

What do see as the future of this discipline?
There is a lot of work going on right now to help functional
medicine practitioners develop financially viable businesses.
This is important for several reasons: so that professionals
already practicing functional medicine will continue to do
so; so that conventional practitioners will consider adding
functional medicine to their current practices; and so that
practitioners in training will consider functional medicine
as a career. I believe we sorely need this approach. I hope
that we will see functional medicine in more academic
centers, both as an offering to patients and as part of the
curriculum for students. The collaboration between the
Institute for Functional Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic is
an important trial of just such a collaboration.
Healthy Endeavors Medicine is located at
2592 Western Ave., Ste. 102, in Altamont.
For more information, call 518-355-2060
or visit HealthyEndeavorsMed.com. See
ad, page 19.

inspiration

artwork and decorated picture frames
can engage kids in anticipating fun
holidays with friends and family.

MEANINGFUL

Non-Material Gifts

GIVING

The Center for a New American Dream,
a national nonprofit organization that
challenges a “more is better” definition
of the good life, suggests giving of oneself—providing gifts of time or experiences that will be long remembered.

Tips to Simplify the Season
by Beth Davis

n Invite loved ones to an outing to the
zoo, a sporting event or an indoor/outdoor picnic.

’T

n Give a friend her dream, based
on an expressed interest and careful research. Sign her up for a class in
cooking, sewing, photography or dancing—classes abound in most cities.

is the season, and a U.S. poll by
Harris Interactive revealed that a
majority of the stress 90 percent
of us feel about the holidays is related
to gift-giving. So, solving this problem
will set us well on our way to a joyeux
noël. The same study found that given
a choice, most of us prefer investing
in good family relationships instead of
more material things, anyway.
Natural Awakenings has uncovered
four ways that we can make the holidays
less hectic and more relaxing and meaningful. First, says Barbara Kilikevich,
author of A Mindful Christmas–How to
Create a Meaningful, Peaceful Holiday,
we have to stop buying into the notion
that more is better and that extravagant,
expensive gifts are equal to how much
we care for one another. “We need to
stop believing that doing it all is productive and having it all is meaningful.”

Get Crafty
Homemade gifts are always special.
They carry a message of thoughtfulness
and love, which is the heart of gift-giving. Making a memorable gift can take

less time than we’d spend earning the
money for a manufactured gift, driving
to the store and back and coping with
checkout lines. Ideas are endless; these
may stimulate your creative juices.
n Gather favorite family recipes and
copy them into a personalized binder.
n Mix jars of tasty combinations of
loose teas and/or bulk herbs that might
include lavender, chamomile or mint.
Add a mesh tea strainer to complete
the package.

Jikiden Reiki Sessions:
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n Support the local art scene by giving tickets to a community theater or a
museum membership.

Previously Enjoyed Gifts

n Attractive, reusable shopping bags,
made from repurposed or recycled
fabric, make practical gifts that can be
used again and again. Sew on monograms or paint on designs to personalize them.

Not every gift needs to be brand-new.
Browse vintage and antique shops,
estate sales, auctions and consignment stores for amazing treasures.
Keep an open mind or go hunting for
that certain something for that special someone. Online sources such as
EstateSales.net, and gsalr.com can help
locate garage, yard and estate sales in
communities across the country. Look
for items that are unusual or hold
special significance.

n Fashioning painted pottery, custom

n A childhood reminder—perhaps a

n Edible items are always a hit. Consider making something yummy that can
be given to everyone on the list. Herbed
olive oil, spiced nuts and homemade
jams are favorites.

Jikiden Reiki® Session & Training Seminars
®

n Purchase a gift certificate for a local
massage, acupuncture session or other
soothing therapy as a way to unwind
during or after the holiday season.

n Classic books, movies and music
n Unique housewares, from vases
and candleholders to platters and
teacups (Replacements.com can help
find missing pieces for sets)

For the Family
For large families or families with
grown children, it can be expensive
and time-consuming shopping for a
gift for every relative. Try one of these
ideas to take the pressure off.
n Instead of giving gifts to each
member of a family or a couple,
think in terms of a single gift for
the household.
n Draw names. Have everyone in
the family put his or her name into a
hat and ask each family member to
draw one name, so that each person
needs to buy only one or two gifts.
n Set a limit. In his book, Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a
More Joyful Christmas, author Bill
McKibben suggests that families
limit the amount they spend and
instead, make the holidays as much
fun as possible, filled with song and
food, creativity and connection.
With a little planning and a lot of
love and care, we can fill the whole
holiday season with less stuff and
more satisfying joy.
Beth Davis is a contributing writer
to Natural Awakenings magazines.

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30

NY Capital District

by Erin Lehn Floresca

B

randon Russ,
perspective. “My favorite
founder of Spirit
part about running Spirit
Tree Connections,
Tree is when people find
in Latham, shares that
what they are looking for.”
his creative healing
He is also
energy center is the
enthusiastic about the Spirit
culmination of his
Tree team of practitioners
own journey. “It’s
and coaches. “We have
comprised of so many
so many wonderful
different aspects of my
people here, ranging
own awakening,” he
from an integrative
says. “Spirit Tree is the
medicine pediatrician to
part of my path for my
bereavement counselors,”
own understanding
says Russ, who is especially
of the world around
excited about the youth
Brandon Russ
me and development
meditation group offered
and use of my own gifts. We’re not
at Spirit Tree. “This amazing group
a wellness center, per se, we’re
helps inspire these children’s own
more of an ‘empowerment for the
understanding of who they are. They
journey’ center. One of our aims at
get to reflect on all kinds of questions,
Spirit Tree is to augment a concert
including the all-important, ‘Why am I
of care with integrated, creative and
here?’” In addition to center meditation
practical application. Here, we have
offerings, Spirit Tree team members are
created a space where people are
working with several school districts
encouraged to open their minds and
to bring mindfulness classes and
find their childlike joy in life again.
workshops into the schools to teach
We connect people with their passion
both students and teachers the benefits
to promote deeper roots and higher
of meditation.
consciousness.”
Russ spent 15 years in corporate
The center offers a wide
recruiting and added skills such as
variety of services, including intuitive
intuitive counseling and recovery
counseling, energy healing, reiki
coaching. In his career worlds, he’s
healing and training, medium readings,
relied heavily on his intuition, and
social media classes, mindful parenting
was fascinated that his instinct was
counseling and workshops, intuitive
so reliable when it came to helping
living classes, creativity workshops,
others make important life choices.
meditation and yoga, business
He continues to utilize this naturalconsulting, wellness retreats and
born talent in his business consulting
creative life coaching,
services, where he
in addition to a fully
focuses on a return on
stocked crystal shop.
energy versus return on
“Most of all, we offer
investment practices,
an opportunity for you
in addition to hosting
to be the best version
workshops on intuitive
of yourself and find
development and living.
the passion in your
His forthcoming book
life,” says Russ, who
Return on Energy, which
adds that he loves that
will be released in spring
Spirit Tree is a place
2017, will focus on one
where people feel safe
of his biggest passions—
to open up and view
energy—and how to
their lives from a fresh
effectively manage the

AlbanyAwakenings.com

energetic aspects of our personal and professional life.
At least once a month at Spirit Tree, in addition to
special events around the Capital District, Russ also offers Funny
You Should Say That, a lighthearted message circle filled with
stories that happen to him as a medium. “Of course, there are lots
of messages for participants. This circle focuses on the energy of
laughter and how it creates such a positive vibe, especially when
dealing with the emotional baggage of those that have passed,”
he says. “A lot of healing can happen when we’re able to reframe
a situation and look at it from a more positive perspective.”
Spirit Tree Connections is located at 987 Loudon Rd., in
Latham. For more information, call 518-810-2427 or visit
SpiritTreeConnections.com. See ad, page 39.
Erin Lehn Floresca is a frequent contributor to Natural
Awakenings magazine.

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natural awakenings

December 2016

31

A Gorgeously
Greener Holiday
Fresh Thinking About Décor
by Avery Mack

N

ature’s holiday decorations can
transcend cliché pine wreaths
or farmed trees to make highly
personalized indoor décor that supersedes traditional greenery. Yet mistletoe,
holly leaves and berries, eucalyptus,
poinsettias, tree needles, acorns and a
cut tree’s water reservoir can be harmful
to both pets and children. Here are
some better choices.

The Tree

For smaller spaces or to make a statement, try grouping topiary trees of
varying heights draped with solar

twinkle lights and small ornaments or
fresh flowers to create a focal point in
a bay window.
“A lemon-lime cypress lends another burst of unexpected color on an
entry hall table,” says freelance floral
designer Janet Corrao, in Nutley, New
Jersey. “It smells good, too.” Plants six
inches tall work well. Corrao suggests
setting the pots in colorful, inexpensive metal buckets from craft stores for
added glamour.
Unless deemed a hazard to active
kids or pets, set up a mid-sized stepstool on a table or open a six-foot

ladder in a corner and hang ornaments
down the center space; add garlands
and lights and set potted flowers and
small gift boxes on the steps. Search
“alternative Christmas trees” at Pinterest.
com for more ideas.
Another option uses hedge-like
plants in lieu of a tree. Consider an
English or Japanese boxwood plant or
evergreen lilly pilly, and then trim to
the desired size and shape. Plant it outdoors as weather and climate permit.

The Table

“While we were working on a photo
shoot, the photographer decided to
include a Christmas scene. I was able
to add fresh greenery from the property
to the red ornaments and white orchids
that I’d brought along. It made a striking
centerpiece running the entire length of
the table,” says florist Angie Zimmerman,
of Angie Zimmerman Designs, in El Dorado Hills, California. “For the fireplace
mantel I used branches with red berries to add height on either side of the
central mirror and then duplicated the
centerpiece design between them.”
A festive table can be dressed with
appealing edibles. Use a bread wreath
as a base and stud it with skewered
basil leaves, cherry tomatoes and small
balls of fresh mozzarella cheese for an
easy, self-serve, Caprese appetizer. A
colorful dish of balsamic dressing or
another dip in the center, along with
small plates and holiday napkins,
completes the offering.
For a sit-down dinner variant,
place a few Caprese skewers in small,
clear, glass vases along the table with
individual finger bowls of dip. Flatleafed green parsley sprigs add another
special touch. Zimmerman further
suggests using deep-red Roma apples,
cored, as candle holders.
Make living place cards with small
pots of herbs. Chalkboard paint identifies the plant and guest seating. Also
consider colorful painted pots sporting
a small cactus.
Transform oranges into aromatic
pomanders by scoring the rinds with a
citrus stripper in a spiral, circle or other
pattern. Use a small nail to make holes
and stud the fruits with whole cloves.
Adding seasonal greenery and sterilized pine cones makes a beautiful and

photo courtesy of Angie Zimmerman Designs

fragrant centerpiece.

The Front Door

“I love to use pine cones for centerpieces,” Corrao says. “Our weather is
cold enough that I don’t have to worry
about bugs when collecting cones in the
neighborhood.” For warmer climates,
bake the pine cones for 30 minutes in a
200-degree oven to melt excess sap, kill
insects and fully open them.
Sold online or in kitchenware
stores, a bay leaf wreath offers cheer at
the door. After the holidays, hang it in
the kitchen for easy access. “Kumquats,
lemons, tangerines, small oranges and
crabapples add color to green wreaths,”
notes Corrao.

518.389.2200

518.557.5514

11 Spring St.
Saratoga Springs

578 New Loudon Rd.
Latham

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Garlands

For many, Christmas demands the smell
of fresh pine boughs. Spice up the
traditional greenery with carnations or
other light-hued flowers colored with the
juices of fresh, canned or frozen fruits
and veggies—red from cranberries, beets
and cherries; yellow and orange from
yellow onions and carrots; purple from
blackberries; green from spinach; pink
from strawberries; and blue from red
cabbage or blueberries. Freshly cut the
flower stems and put them in the liquid
from crushed produce or the can to
absorb color. Hang garlands out of reach
of young children and pets.
Navjot Kaur, of Navjot Designs, in
Chicago, says, “We all have greenery
in our yard or patio gardens that can be
used for the holidays. It’s fun to alter the
design based upon what is available.”
Imagination and inspiration can
spark new, greener traditions.
Connect with the freelance writer via
AveryMack@mindspring.com.
natural awakenings

December 2016

33

consciouseating

HAPPY
FEASTING
TO ALL

Savor

Tasty Rituals that Deepen
the Holiday Spirit
by Lane Vail

T

he holiday season is ripe with
an array of spiritual, cultural
and family rituals. We celebrate,
reflect, give gifts and, of course, feast.
Fortunately, the media also teems
with tips on how to avoid high-calorie
holiday goodies, says Dr. Michelle May,
author of Eat What You Love, Love What
You Eat. For our diet-driven culture to
resolve its struggle with food, she says
we must learn to honor its intrinsic
value. Ritualized eating can help; a
recent study published in the journal
Psychological Science found that engaging in food rituals evokes mindfulness
that enhances the enjoyment of eating.

Pause

Hunger, the body’s fuel gauge, manifests in physical symptoms like a

thirsty, rather than hungry, rationalizing
that holiday foods are special, or feeling
stressed or lonely. Next, explore why
the feelings or thoughts are present, and
then accept them without judgment.
Strategize ways of satisfying the need
and take a small step toward change.
Complex preparations for a major
holiday can provoke anxiety and
impatience, and likewise, feelings of
longing or disappointment when it’s
over. Sarah Ban Breathnach, bestselling
author of Simple Abundance and Peace
and Plenty, recommends allowing
Christmastide to unfold at its own pace
and celebrating all of December with a
homemade Advent calendar.
Craft a tree-shaped tower of tiny
boxes or a garland of burlap mini-bags
clipped with clothespins. Place an
almond covered in organic dark
chocolate in each container and use
the treat as a daily mini-meditation.
“Drop into the present moment, fully
savor the luxurious, small bite and
experience the pleasure of eating,”
suggests May. Consider it symbolic
of the season’s sweetness.

“Food connects us with one another,
our heritage and our culture,” says
May. Heather Evans, Ph.D., a Queen’s
University professor and a holiday
culinary history expert in Ontario,
Canada, suggests creating a food diary
of traditions to reinforce a connection
with the past and support a holiday
food legacy for the future. Ask grandparents about their childhood culinary
memories, peruse family recipe books
or discover new dishes that honor
everyone’s ethnic heritage. Then create
an heirloom holiday cookbook with
handwritten recipes arranged alongside favorite photos and stories.

Sync

According to the ancient way, sharing
seasonal food with loved ones during
the winter solstice on December 21
symbolizes the shared trust that warmth
and sunlight will return. Eating warm
foods provides physical comfort and
eating seasonally and locally connects
us to the Earth, observes May.
Sync body and spirit with the
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season by stewing root vegetables, baking breads, sipping hot cider and tea,
and nibbling on nuts and dried fruits.
“The repetition of predictable foods
is reassuring,” remarks Evans, and it celebrates nature’s transitions.

Play

Stir-Up Sunday is a Victorian amusement
filled with fun, mystery and mindfulness,
says Ban Breathnach. Some December
Sunday, have each family member help
stir the batter of a special Christmas
cake while stating a personal new year’s
intention. Drop a clean coin, bean or
trinket into the mix and bake. Serve it
with a sprig of holly on Christmas Day,
and the person with the piece containing the lucky charm will be rewarded
with a prosperous, wholesome and
positive new year, according to tradition. Evans remarks, “This is a wonderful ritual for nurturing the health and
spirit of the family.”

Healthy Holiday Desserts
Sweet and Satisfying

H

ave a sweet tooth, but feel guilty
when eating sweet treats? Try these
healthier, holiday alternatives. They
are sweet enough to satisfy that sweet
tooth, but healthy enough to quiet a
guilty conscience.

Holiday Hazlenut Cookies

Give

Boxing Day offers something far more
meaningful to celebrate than postholiday sales. Originating as a tradition
that thrived during the 19th century,
“December 26 was a chance for landowners and homeowners to give back to
household staff and local tradespeople,”
says Evans. “It’s a tradition worth reviving
to pause, reflect on our own good fortune
and contribute to others’ comfort.”
Consider serving a meal at a local
soup kitchen, collecting items for a
food drive or offering a box of healthy
culinary treats to community stewards
at a fire station, post office or library. On
Christmas Day, says Ban Breathnach,
“Our kids have the world lying at their
feet.” Boxing Day, she says, provides a
natural transition to reach out in charity.
Lane Vail is a freelance writer and blogger at DiscoveringHomemaking.com.

Combine the wet ingredients and beat
slightly. Stir in the dry ingredients and
mix well. Fold in carrots and nuts. Pour
into paper lined muffin tins. Bake 350°
for approximately 30 minutes. Test with
a toothpick for doneness. Allow to cool
before eating. Try topping them off
with some cashew cream and fresh berries (see recipe, page 36).

Put the nuts and sugar in the food
processor until finely ground. Separate
the eggs, putting the whites in a large
mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites and
salt until they form stiff peaks. Gently
fold in nuts, sugar, chocolate shavings
and cinnamon. Be careful not to over
stir. Line a cookie sheet with parchment
paper. Spoon dough onto cookie sheet
and top with colorful sprinkles made
from natural plant dyes. You can find
them at a health food store or in the
“natural” section of the grocery store.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Make
sure oven rack is in the middle of the
oven. The cookies burn easily when
the rack is too low. You may need to
adjust the cooking time based on your
oven, so watch the first batch carefully.
Let cool before removing from pan.
This recipe uses about half the sugar of
traditional cookie recipes and is packed
with protein.

Allergy information: Gluten and dairy
free. Contains nuts and eggs.

Allergy information: Gluten free. Contains nuts and eggs.

natural awakenings

December 2016

35

Coconut Snow Balls
There are many similar recipes to this
one floating around the Internet. They
are often referred to as “energy treats.”
During the winter holidays, roll them in
coconut and call them “snowballs.”

Combine the ingredients until well
incorporated. Form into balls and
roll balls in remaining coconut.
Chill for a couple hours. It makes
about 20 snowballs.
Allergy information: Gluten free. Contains nuts and coconut.

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews (soaked in
water over night)
1 1/2 tablespoons pure organic maple
syrup or coconut nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons almond or
coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1-2 cloves
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cardamom
Soak a cup of raw, unsalted cashews
overnight in a bowl of water. Drain off
the water before preparing the cashew
cream. Put all of the ingredients in a
food processor or vitamix and blend
until it becomes a creamy consistency. The consistency will be similar to
almond butter but a little looser. Add
more or less cinnamon and cardamom to taste.
Allergy information: Gluten and dairy
free. Contains nuts.
Recipes Courtesy of Joan Bender, an
integrative health coach, gluten-free
foodie and owner of Food and Mood
Coaching, LLC, in Delmar. For more
information and additional recipes, visit
JBenderWellness.com. See ad, page 15.

Cooking is like love.
It should be entered into with
abandon or not at all.
~Harriet Van Horne

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calendarofevents

Certified Divorce Coach, Marie Marhan Dropkin
from Support in a Storm. Register: 518-423-2525.

NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 5th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines and submit entries online at
AlbanyAwakenings.com (within calendar section).

Holiday Open House – 10am-3pm. Sample teas,
enjoy refreshment and a holiday atmosphere while
shopping the many unique gifts available. Come
see the new Troy storefront! Jean’s Greens Herbal
Tea Works and Essential Herbs, 225 River St,
Troy. Info: 518-479-0471.
Holiday Home & Gift Giving DIY: Make & Take
Fun with Essential Oils. 10am. Dec 3, 10 & 17.
Customize simple holiday gifts and healthy solutions.
Held at Medical Thermography Associates, 2 Chelsea
Pl, Clifton Park. Free. Preregistration: 518-983-6564
or search Facebook events.
Five Rivers Guided Walk: Winter Wildlife –
2pm. Bring binoculars on this winter stroll to look
for birds and other wildlife. Fight those winter
blues by getting outdoors in the brief daylight
and enjoying the view. There is wildlife to see in
New York throughout all the seasons. Five Rivers
Environmental Education Center, 56 Game Farm
Rd, Delmar. More info: 518-475-0291.
ACRO Yoga – 1-3pm. In this workshop participants
will be introduced to the 5 principles of acroyoga.
These principles provide a starting point for the
practice or some insight into refining a yoga practice.
$20 early registration. $30 standard/late registration.
Lilananda Yoga, 585 Saratoga Rd. (Rt. 50), Glenville.
Register online. Questions: 518-470-5240.

markyourcalendar
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8
Coping with the Holidays – 6:30pm. With Dave
Roberts, LCSW. Presenting different techniques
and understanding stress management around
the holidays. This is great for those bereaved
and stressed this time of the year. $20. Spirit Tree
Connections, 987 New Loudon Rd, Latham.
Register: SpiritTreeConnections.com

Free Introductory Yoga Class – 6-7pm. Attendees
may also register for a drawing for a free 8-week
session beginning Jan 9. AAC Family Wellness
Center, 402 Rowland Street, Ballston Spa.
Questions-call/text: 518-935-5488.
Handling Holiday Stress – 6-7:30pm. Take a time
out to discuss holiday stress and what can be done to
ensure sanity is kept this season. Facilitated by Life
Coach Kim Perone. $10. Space is limited. Inspired
Life Coaching, 801 Route 50, Burnt Hills. Register:
Kim, 518-301-3593.
Contemplating Divorce? – 7-8:30pm. “Should I
or shouldn’t I?” Learn to better navigate this time
and decision, explore what is involved and what to
do first. Time for questions and answers. Led by

We recommend that
you inquire prior to and
preregister for events that
appear in the calendar.
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NY Capital District

Info: 518-744-5565.
Earthly Remedies’ 1st Annual Sale and Open
House – 11am-4pm. There will be clearance
items, seconds, and sales on all regular products.
There will be products to try, test, and sample,
including hot herbal tea. There will be free herbal
literature available. All while supplies last! Enter
into two raffles. Free. Earthly Remedies, 264
Main St, Richmondville. Questions/direction:
518-534-3003.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12

Informational Session on Dreams – 6-7:30pm.
Wanting to make sense of dreams? Dreams contain
important messages and learning their language can
unlock clues to a healthier, happier life. $10. Held
in Delmar. Details/register: Joan Bender, Food &
Mood Coaching, 518-461-9507.

markyourcalendar
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18
Winter Solstice Soiree – 4-6pm. Since
ancient times people have come together to
celebrate the return of the light. Come join in
the celebration. Release the old and welcome
in the new! Create a Vision Board for 2017.
Facilitated by Evelyn Neale at The Center
for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment.
$20. Space is limited. 801 Route 50, Burnt
Hills. Preregistration required: Evelyn,
518-331-8527.
Joy Adler & the Souls of Evolution Perform
– 6pm. A Winter Solstice event for the healing
of the earth. Music and meditation. Free. Unity
Church, 21 King Ave, Albany. Contact: 518453-3603.

Holiday Cooking, Stress Reduction & Staying
Healthy: with Essential Oils – 10am & 6pm. See
December 7 for details. Free. Preregistration: 518983-6564 or search Facebook events.
Navigating Divorce – 12:30-2pm. Learn how to
avoid the most common mistakes of divorce. Time
for questions and answers. Led by Certified Divorce
Coach, Marie Marhan Dropkin from Support in a
Storm. Register: 518-423-2525.
Solstice Celebration – 6pm-8pm. Ceremony of

drumming and reflection with Zelda Hotaling. Take
some time out from the busy holiday season for
this special event. It’s a chance to renew the spirit
and set an intention for the coming year. Free, but
reservation required. Jean’s Greens Herbal Tea
Works and Essential Herbs, 225 River St, Troy.
Info: 518-479-0471.
Winter Sound Solstice – 7pm. Sound healing on
the highest level: crystal bowls, drumming and
voice come together to connect. Come meditate and
enjoy the sound healing vibration. $25. Spirit Tree
Connections, 987 Loudon Road, Latham. Register
online. Info: 518-810-2427.

3rd Annual World of Nativities Exhibit – 1-4pm.
A project of the Historical Society of Moreau and
South Glens Falls. Several of the rooms on the
first floor of the house are filled with the nativities
and are arranged to challenge visitors to discover
the theme of each grouping. $5 adults. $3 children
under 12. Tours must be arranged in advance.
Parks-Bentley Place, 53 Ferry St., South Glens
Falls. Info: Nancy, 518-636-3856.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

“Funny You Should Say That!” – 7pm. With
Brandon Russ. Start the New Year out right with
the comedic delivery of the funniest medium in the
area. Receive messages and capture the humor of
loved ones as they connect with you. $25. Spirit Tree
Connections, 987 Loudon Road, Latham. Register
online. Info: 518-810-2427.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31

Vision Board: Casting Your Relationship Spell –
11am-3pm. With Joelle Lydon, MA, CPC. Be guided
in a visioning process using the tools of desire
mapping to get clarity on relationships and true life
path. Manifest the life and love wanted for the New
Year. $45. Spirit Tree Connections, 987 Loudon
Road, Latham. Register online. Info: 518-810-2427.

New Year Inspiration and Renewal – 12-5pm.
Held for the fourth time in 2017! Say “good-bye” to

plan ahead
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3
Free Introductory Yoga Class – 7-8pm. Attendees
may also register for a drawing for a free 8-week

markyourcalendar
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22
Living with Passion and Purpose – 10am2pm. Interactive workshop to help participants
become clear about their passions and life
purpose. Ideal for those experiencing a life
transition. $80 early bird registration. Includes
lunch. Beltrone Living Center, 6 Winners
Circle, Colonie. Preregister: 518-218-0707.

ongoingcalendar
NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 5th of the month and
adhere to our guidelines. Review guidelines and submit entries online at
AlbanyAwakenings.com (within calendar section).

friday
Yoga Asana and Meditation – 12pm. This all-levels
class offers a warming and soothing flow to engage
and ease the physical body, smooth and expand the
breath, settle and focus the mind, and help release

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LOUISE M. FINLAYSON, PH.D.

1525 Western Ave, Ste 1, Albany
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See ad, back cover.

Marie Marhan Dropkin
518-423-2525 • SupportInAStorm.com
Life coaching through divorce:
before, during and after. Providing
support and helping clients get
organized, think through decisions
and keep focused. Guidance in
considering options and assembling
a team of divorce professionals.
Complimentary, confidential consultation.

Locally owned and operated
business, serving the cleaning
needs of Capital Region families
and individuals for over 15 years.
Passionate team of green
cleaning professionals, setting
new standards for quality, professionalism, and
healthy indoor environments. .

FENG SHUI

HERBS

BRENDA C. JENKS

518-321-5940 • FengShuiBCJ.com
Assesses physical and nonphysical influences in a home or
business and suggests appropriate
adjustments to ensure environment supports one physically,
emotionally and financially. 18+
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FERTILITY CARE SERVICES
PATRICIA DESHANE

518-620-6280
Patricia.Deshane@live.com • FertilityCare.org
Looking for an alternative to IVF?
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Herbal Tea Works & Herbal Essentials
225 River Street, Troy
518-479-0471 • JeansGreens.com
Gifts from the Earth for you and
yours. Offering quality organic
and wild-crafted herbs, teas,
tinctures, essential oils, books,
gifts, and bath and beauty
products, as well as a variety of
supplies for making your own
products. Free catalog available.

Spirit Tree Connections is a creative
healing energy center where
practitioners find a home and clients
find their path. Offering workshops,
classes and individual deliveries in
a great energetic space. Spirit Tree's
team is passionate about helping
people become the best version of themselves. Crystal
shoppe onsite. See ad, page 39.

410 Rowland St, Ballston Spa
518-885-6185 • NoMercDoc.com
"The mouth is a portal to the rest of
the body." Dr. Dreher is a reliable
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services such as ozone, safe mercury
removal protocol, sedation
dentistry, and detox-ification.
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Providing a healthy, relaxing
environment with NYS
licensed massage therapists
dedicated to promoting selfhealing and balance to
clients. Sessions by
appointment only and
tailored to each individual. See ad, page 12.

A unique online/phone
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Specializing in
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Our focus is on neurological
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Licensed esthetician and cosmetologist
focused on organic skin and hair
products, carefully chosen, based on
each individual's needs. Skincare
specialization for cancer patients.
With Paula, skincare and hair are in
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Naturopath and nutritionist with a
unique passion for health and
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individuals in restoring their wellbeing and health with individualized
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Qigong is an ancient, powerful
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master stress, decrease chronic
pain, boost energy and maximize
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Weekly classes. Private sessions
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518-589-5000
PeaceVillageRetreat.org
Experience the tranquility of
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518-764-2815

Traditional individual, family and
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